About me

A spot of northern quoll catching

I am a Research Fellow in the Quantitative and Applied Ecology Group (QAEco) at the University of Melbourne. I am particularly interested in research that will improve the recovery of threatened species and biodiversity through on-ground action. Much of my work has bridged the interface between strategic research and evidence-based land management.

I started my career at the University of Queensland using quantitative genetics to investigate the evolution of mating choice systems. Although not much is sexier than sexual selection, a desire to effect positive environmental change and a love of adventurous field work and lead me to seek conservation related research.

My PhD time was split between the molecular genetics lab at the Australian National
University and traipsing across northern Australia to understand the status and threats facing the Endangered Purple-crowned Fairy-wren and to derive management actions to halt its decline.

Following that I worked as a wildlife ecologist for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy in the Kimberley Region of WA. During that time I was involved with multiple research projects and management programs focused on mitigating threats and conserving of the unique biota of northern Australia.